Sony has officially announced a pair of new digital cameras this week. The first of the new digital cameras is an interchangeable lens unit called the NEX-3N. The camera is an APS-C device weighing only 210 g.

The camera features a three-inch LCD screen on the back that can be tilted through a range of 180° and has 16.1-megapixel resolution. The NEX-3N records HD resolution video and images can be shot continuously at four frames per second. The camera has 11 integrated modes in 15 different integrated picture effects.

Sony says this is the smallest interchangeable lens camera with a large APS-C sensor size, measuring 109.9 x 62 x 34.6 mm. The camera will launch in March at an undisclosed price.

The other new camera is the Sony a58 that accommodates interchangeable lenses and has a 20.1-megapixel resolution. The camera uses an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and can shoot continuous still shots at eight frames per second. The camera also has a new lock-on autofocus and an OLED Tru-finder viewfinder.

Sony also fits the camera with an improved BIONZ image processing engine providing low-noise still shots and full HD resolution video. This a58 is one of Sony's Digital SLT units that use the Sony Translucent Mirror technology using slightly different technology from the typical D-SLR camera.

The a58 measures 128.6 x 95.5 x 77.7 mm with a weight of 492 g. The camera will launch in April at an undisclosed price.

i bought an alpha 35 after tons of research, because sony's price (at least in north america) was hundreds less than a comparable nikon or canon at the time; with better features to boot. they bought the old konica-minolta company, and i guess that's where the inherited a lot of know how from. they also make sensors for other camera makers, so the image quality is definitely on-par with what you get elsewhere.

but, as you pointed out, their rep isn't all that good, and they're almost unknowns in the DSLR market compared to nikon; which means they price their products realistically (and when could yo ever say that about sony?).

Sony's been making cameras, sensors, and optics for years, even before buying Minolta. Their imaging tech often goes into Nikon (and others) camera bodies, and their sensors typically beat Canon's in several key respects.

I think your comments about price aren't terribly accurate, however. They have a full range of camera bodies, true, from low-end to high, but so do most every other manufacturer. Their lens lineup is decent, but sorely lacking in excellent price/quality products. Sony still has quite a ways to go before they have a robust, full system with plenty of good options at a broad range of focal lengths, apertures, and costs. Their real stuff has been in the NEX line, with nice big high-quality sensors in fairly small bodies, but if someone wants to pick from a huge range of lenses, it's got nothing on the m4/3 line or either of the big two, Canon or Nikon.

Ive got an A100 (5-series) back in 2006 i think.was really happy with that camera, started taking many pictures.

In 2011 I updated to a A77 (7-series) and that is still a very good camera IMHO. Even thought Ive got no real experience with competing brands.

couldn't be happier with choise of manufacturer :)of course the choise was based mostly on that their antishakewas built into the camera body so that even low end lenses get AS. Also continuing the Minolta heritage was a factor in buying Sony. There will soon be a new version of the 70-400mm tele lens wich i might get this summer if i can affoard it :)